


An Unconventional Age

by Pixelatrix



Series: Unconventional Sequels, One-Shots and Alternate Chapters [14]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, Feels, Growing Old, Multi, Sad, Sickness, sad story is very sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-06 00:45:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5396441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixelatrix/pseuds/Pixelatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a companion piece to Unconventional and Unconventional Garden.  It happens toward the end of Unconventional Garden and discuss the aging of the Unconventional trio.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unconventional Age

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Penthesilea1623](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penthesilea1623/gifts).



> Thanks for the kudos, comments and subscriptions. It's like candy for a writer. =) It keeps me fueled to write more lol.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Bioware Owns all Sadly.
> 
> Magical Betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929

The dirt path which ran between the family home and the cottage had always been a favourite.  Hackett often walked it in the afternoons.  They’d lined it with apple trees and placed a few benches for seats over the years.

He barely paid any attention to the glorious winter morning.  His youngest daughter had been avoiding him for days now.  It hurt.  Finnegan had also chosen to give him the silent treatment.  That hurt as well.

Shortness of breath caused him to stop halfway to the farm.  He leaned heavily against a nearby tree.  In his eighties, Hackett didn’t quite possess the energy of his early days.  His doctor even wanted him to start using a cane.

A cane?

Being the oldest in their marriage had never quite hit as hard as it had recently.  The gap between he, Fin and Zaeed seemed to grow exponentially each year.  Now his greatest fear was dying first.

Leaving his wife and husband.

Leaving their children.

His wife was still as vibrant as ever in her sixties.  Turning seventy hadn’t seemed to slow Zaeed down either. Instead, it was his body which had started to fail.

Doctors.  Idiots.  They had him on a special diet for his heart. They’d grown concerned over his risk of heart attack.  Zaeed had joked about him being too stubborn to die on them.

There had been fear in his eyes though.  They’d all felt it.  All been consumed with worry.  Then their youngest daughter had been kind enough to provide them all with a distraction.

She’d gone and married Admiral Alfaro.

As a marine, Hackett had a great amount of respect for Alfaro.  As a man, he wanted him to get the hell away from his daughter. His youngest.  His baby.  She was the most fragile out of their precious children.

Some of his nights devolved into night terrors all surrounding those awful days when their baby had been so sick.  In and out of the hospital.  Doctors could never quite make it right.  A weak immune system was what they called it.

Teagan would never be physically as strong as her siblings. They’d been taken aside several times throughout the years to be informed of the potential for her to have a shortened life.   He’d often wondered if he would outlive her.

It would’ve been unbearable.  Now Hackett knew his entire family would outlive him.  And somehow, it was just as painful.

“Steven?”

He closed his eyes, resting his head against the tree. “Finnegan.”

She motioned to Zaeed who despite his many protests helped him over to one of the nearby benches.  “Will you _please_ tell us what’s wrong?”

“Teagan…”

Zaeed sat on his left while Finnegan made herself comfortable on his right.  She stretched her legs across their laps.  “I don’t bloody like Alfaro any more than you, but this age shit bothers you more than it should.”

Their wife nodded her agreement. “You’re twenty years older than me.  It never bothered you before.  Or did it and you never said?”

“It’s a beautiful day.” Hackett tilted his head to gaze up the sky.  He’d never allowed his insecurities surrounding age difference to affect their relationship.  He had felt it keenly at times.  “Aren’t you two supposed to be visiting with Brennan?”

“That’s next week.” Finnegan took his hand in both of hers.  He could see her concern over another example of his growing forgetfulness. “Why does Luke bother you so much?

“He’s too old for her.” Hackett’s throat tightened on him, strained by emotions of keeping in so many thoughts. “I…”

_I’m too old for you.  He’s too old for her._

_He’ll die first—leaving her alone like I’m going to end up leaving you alone._

_I don’t want to be an invalid.  I won’t want to force you to play nurse.  I was too old for you.  I’m afraid of losing my memories.  I’m so damn afraid._

So many thoughts Hackett could never risk voicing.  They suck in his throat like shards of glass whenever he tried to talk.  He had always been the strength of his family, the pillar of support when needed.

And now?

“Steven?” Finnegan reached up to brush tears from his cheeks.  “What on earth is going on in your head?”

“Not anything good, I can goddamn guarantee it.” Zaeed lifted Fin’s legs off of their lap.  He shifted around and caught Hackett by the front of his shirt. “This is about the doctor last week, isn’t it? What the fuck did he tell you?”

“ _Zaeed Massani.”_ Finnegan swatted him on the arm. “What have I said about that sort of language?”

“Not in front of the children.” He chuckled then focused back on his husband. “You’ve been off-kilter for months.”

Hackett brought his free hand up to cover Zaeed’s which still gripped his shirt. “I will likely continue to be off-kilter.”

And like steam from a kettle, Hackett couldn’t stop the words.  He told them about his most recent visit with the doctor.  Finnegan’s face paled dramatically, her hands clenched around his then she moved closer to him.

He confessed it all—the state of his weakening heart and his diminishing ability to remember the simplest of things.   He felt the drops from Finnegan’s tears on his neck.  Zaeed had moved off the bench to stand a few yards away, muttering under his breath.

“Mom? Dad? Papa?” Teagan popped out from the orchard.  Tulip pranced along behind her before racing after a bird.  “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, sweetheart.” Finnegan immediately put on a brave face for her daughter. “We were having a little chat.”

She moved over to sit on the edge of the bench next to her parents. “No, no you aren’t. Mom’s crying.  Papa’s cursing up a storm.   Is this about Luke?”

“Yes.” Hackett was tempted to divert her attention to _that_ issue, but the way her shoulders slumped changed his mind. “No, Teagan, I’m afraid this has nothing to do with Luke.  I may have been wrong about him.  And I’m sorry.”

“Really?”

He reached around Finnegan to gently squeeze his daughter’s shoulder. “I think it’s time for a family meeting.  Will you call your brother and sister?”

“And husband?” Teagan waited for him to nod before pulling up her omni-tool.  “They’ll be here within the hour.  Rowan went to visit Brennan, so she’s giving him a ride.  Luke was already on his way home.  You’re not—dying—are you?”

Hackett found those blue eyes so identical to his own impossible to meet.  He left his wife and daughter sitting on the bench.  A not so brisk walk home and a glass of scotch would steel his nerves for the conversation to come.

In hindsight, it seemed ridiculous to think of keeping this from the family forever.  They would’ve eventually noticed the increased medication.  Finnegan had already started to worry about how forgetful he was becoming.  As it worsened, it would’ve stood out even more to her.

The sound of quickening footsteps told him that someone had followed.  Small, dainty fingers slid into his which told him Teagan hadn’t been satisfied to wait for everyone.  He tucked her hand onto his arm while they walked together.

“Dad?”

“I owe you an apology.” He drew her closer to wrap and arm around her shoulder.  “Luke is a good man. I’m sure he’ll make a fine husband.  When I first started dating your mother, I didn’t really pay much attention to the fact that I was twenty years older.  It wasn’t until much later that I started to worry about the age difference.  I’m afraid I might’ve transferred some of my fears subconsciously onto you and Luke.  I am sorry.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“No.” Hackett kept his eyes on the path—not wanting to meet those piercing blue eyes which would be tinged with sadness. “Wouldn’t you rather wait to hear it with your brother and sister?”

“You are dying.”

“Not this second.”

“ _Dad._ ”

He smiled at her scolding tone, definitely picked up from her mother. “My health is failing.”

Teagan stopped walking.  She moved away from him to pick up Tulip who had followed them.  Her fingers absently petted the cat. “Failing how?”

“My heart and my memory are starting to falter.” He had no intentions of going into any details with any of the kids.  They didn’t need to be burden with facts of things they had no chance of changing.  “I’m old, sweetheart, my body has decided to start to slow down on me.”

“But…” Teagan flew over to wrap her arms around him.  Her head rested against his chest. “I need you, dad.”

He closed his eyes against the onslaught of tears. “I’ll stay as long as I can.”

“Forever?”

He rested his chin on top of her head. “I’ll do my best.”

“Dad?” 

“Hmm?”

“I love you.” Teagan sniffled a few times.

In the two hours it took for the family to gather, Hackett busied himself by making several batches of cookies.  One specifically for Fin, and one for the rest of the family.   It kept him from sinking into darker thoughts.  Teagan stayed in the kitchen to help, likely not wanting to let him out of her sight.

The reactions to his news went better than Hackett had imagined they would.  Rowan stormed out of the room into the back garden with Zaeed following to calm her down.  Brennan brooded quietly with his mother beside him.  Luke’s attention remained completely on Teagan. 

Hackett sat on the couch, sipping whiskey and waiting for everything to sink in.  He didn’t need to wait long.  Rowan rushed back into the house and launched herself at him.  “I’m not going anywhere yet.”

“But you will.” Rowan clutched at him with all the strength her training had given her. She leaned back with a steely expression on her face.  “You’ve been worrying about everyone.  That’s why you’ve looked so stressed.”

“Rowan…”

She shook her head to cut him off. “I’m the oldest, dad.  I’ll look after them.  I’ll look after you.”

“Sweetheart…”

“I’ll make it better.” Rowan flung herself away and rushed out of the house again.

“She hates crying in front of anyone.” Brennan spoke for the first time. “But she’s right.  We’ll look after you because we love you.”

He cleared his throat several times. “I love you all so much.  I’m proud of you kids. You’ve turned into amazing adults.”

“I need more cookies.” Finnegan fled into the kitchen. 

Hackett ruffled Brennan’s hair then followed his wife. “Finnegan?”

“Who’s going to make my cookies?”

He pulled her into his arms. “Teagan will manage.  Just don’t try it yourself.  I’m not going anywhere yet.”

“I do love you, Steven—so much.” Finnegan crumbled the cookie in her hand. “My life has been better with you. Do you know that? It’s been monumentally better.  Your age _never_ once crossed my mind as an issue.  You and Zaeed, those kids out there, are the best thing to _ever_ happen to me.  So you _will_ stop all this nonsense about having been too old for me.”

“And make more cookies?”

“And make more cookies.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
